Floral Fluster
by themagiciian
Summary: Cagney Carnation was possibly the most antisocial resident on Inkwell Isle. However, he was just as shy as he was introverted & grumpy. Rumor Honeybottoms just hopes to bring him out of his shell and tag along to the Inkwell Festival, along with a certain Cup brother... (This is a Cuphead fanfiction for the ship, Cagney/Mugman.)
1. Chapter 1

Author's notes: Hello!  
This is my first ever submission to FF. I've just recently gotten back into writing fanfiction with the release of Cuphead.  
This was intended to be a one-shot, however by the time I'd gotten to the second half, I'd written 3 thousand words. So... this may or may not have extra chapters.

This fanfiction was written for the Flower Tea ship, also known as Mugney. It's just Cagney Carnation and Mugman paired together. I was heavily inspired by the adorable fanart on Tumblr.

Even if I do not continue this, I do have more Flower Tea planned for the future.

Please enjoy.

* * *

Cagney was antisocial. He could count all the friends he had on one hand. He was far from keen on social events - the last one he had attended was the celebration threw for the Cup brothers once they'd put the devil back in his place... That was well over a year ago by that point...

But, he had his reasons. Cagney liked his own company. He had his meadow of flower children that needed tending to. Most social events never interested him. Being alone was just _easier_. Yes, he didn't have to worry about anything but himself and his kin if he never left the forest, his home. But truthfully, above all else, he was more shy than introverted. He'd never admit it though, as much as he knew it was the truth. He kept himself to himself as much as he did because he was actually rather timid.

"Sometimes, I wonder, what scares you so much about leaving this forest?" Rumor Honeybottoms inquired. She was a good friend- very pushy, however, which was a blessing and a curse. Moreso a curse as she was always trying to push him out of his comfort zone - something he could never get used to.

"I'm not scared of anything," Cagney replied with an audible scoff, running a hand over one of his petals. He turned his head away before adding; "I just prefer being alone. You know that."

Rumor let out a short sigh, frustrated. "That grumpy facade doesn't work on me, dear. You know that," she shot right back, one leg folded over the other, "and I know you know that everyone thinks you're just one, big, grumpy flower. But I can read you like a book, honey. It doesn't fly with me."

Cagney only glanced back, holding eye contact for only a few seconds, before looking away again. This earned him another sigh, confirming her previous statement. There was a moment of silence before she continued.

"All I'm saying is… it wouldn't do you any harm to go out once in a while. I know you have friends you can visit. Why don't you go and visit the Root Pack? They're not too far away-" She paused when Cagney looked back at her again, glaring at her. That was a very clear "no".

"I'm not interested in those rotten vegetables, Rumor," The petals on his head sprung up a little, some of his thorns seemed to bristle out further. "They tried to dig out some of the little ones - they were just playing near the garden. And they called them weeds. I hate them!"

The "little ones" referred to Cagney's family of tiny flowers- or atleast what she has assumed were his kin. They'd already left the clearing when Rumor had arrived- she assumed they'd all hopped off deeper into the forest, up to their usual business. She reached out to pat Cagney's shoulder, hoping to relax him a little bit, as he was obviously agitated from the memory. That was one thing he wouldn't hide- he always held a grudge, especially when it involved his children. No one would ever expect Cagney to be a family man, but he really was protective of what he had.

Cagney leant into the contact slightly, reassuring himself that Rumor was only trying to help. She smiled warmly when he noticeably relaxed. "We'll avoid the Root Pack then." She said, tone soft as ever, and he nodded. "How about Hilda? She's sweet. Or Goopy, perhaps."

"I hardly ever see Hilda around. She's always off doing something else. And Goopy," He groaned, before giving a huff, "he is the most obnoxious slime I've ever met. I hate his stupid puns and smug face…"

"I'm sure you're making this more difficult than it needs to be on purpose..." she was getting impatient, but her worried tone remained. The only response was a shrug.

There was a pause. About two minutes of quiet passed. Cagney was convinced he had upset her before she piped up again.

"I think you just need a girlfriend to pull you out of the ground. That would be the best solution."

"Wh-what?! don't need a girlfriend!"

"Or a boyfriend, whatever your preference is. You know I won't judge, dear-"

"I- I don't need a boyfriend! I don't need anyone!" He cried, his face flushed. He looked about ready to burst. Honestly, Rumor found his ridiculously flustered expression quite funny. She held back a chuckle and replaced it with a smirk instead. "I don't- I don't _do_ romance."

"You don't do anything, that's the problem here, _mister_!" She quickly replied, giving his arm a nudge. "Inkwell Festival is in a couple of weeks. Are you going to go? I'll be going with Cala and Grim to help set up."

"...I mean, I wasn't planning to." He sounded hesitant, and the look of disappointment on Rumor's face made him feel bad. "Okay okay! ...Maybe. I'll think about it. I'll go if someone goes with me."

She looked a bit more hopeful at this. "I know Cuphead is definitely going, and Elder Kettle. Tag along with them!"

Cagney went a bit quiet in thought, before shaking his head. "...Cuphead is a bit annoying-"

"Mugman, then!" She chirped, interrupting him, taking Cagney by surprise. "Mugman is sweet. I know you like him."

Another pause.

"...I…Okay. I'll go with Mugman."

Rumor smiled brightly, clasping her hands together. "Good!" She beamed, her wings buzzing to life as she began to take off. "I'll tell him he has someone to go with, then. But for now, I must go. The hive gets chaotic if I leave for too long."

Cagney crossed his arms as she gave him a pat on his petals before she finally flew off.

* * *

A couple of days had passed. He had heard nothing from Rumor, or Mugman. He was secretly relieved. Maybe they'd just forget… And maybe he wouldn't have to go.

Then again, Rumor coming down and pulling him up out of the ground to come with her wasn't completely out of the question either. _'God gave you legs so you could walk!'_ He could imagine her yelling, and he softly sighed.

He waited a little while longer… nothing.

It was already late noon. And in the midst of Autumn, he knew it would be getting dark relatively soon. He figured no one would want to trek through the forest to come see him in the darkness (besides maybe the aforementioned queen bee).

 _Naptime_ , Cagney thought to himself- he always found himself feeling more sleepy in the cooler months. Some of the flowers below him were already dozing off, a couple of tulips had begun nuzzling themselves up to his roots, their beady black eyes beginning to close sleepily. He smiled down at them, before curling up his long body around the little gathering of plants, head resting on the ground next to them, arms wrapping around the group of tiny flowers. A content sigh escaped him, his eyes shutting, quietly drifting off into a slumber...

He didn't know how long it had been since he had fallen asleep, but feeling something gently tingle across the top of his petals, whatever is was (a gust of wind maybe?), wasn't about to wake him up. He grumbled quietly, nuzzling closer to the ground, sighing through his nose. Not too long after, he felt it again, followed by a muffled sound…

"Mister… Mister Carnation…? Are you okay?"

His eyes didn't even open. His petals only twitched. Cagney was still half asleep, but he could detect that that it was a hand that was feeling his petals. Not wind like he thought it was. His eyes lazily cracked open, his vision blurred whilst his orange pupils adjusted to the sudden light, looking up in the direction of where the hand was petting from… it was something… blue…

"I can go, if you want me to, Cagney, sir…"

Cagney blinked a couple of times. That soft-spoken and kind voice was really drawing him out of his weary state, not to mention that petting, unconsciously leaning towards the hand…

"Mugman…" He mumbled, before blinking that last bit of sleep out of his eyes. And suddenly his eyes shot wide.

Oh God it _was_ Mugman. Oh God he had actually turned up. _Oh God why was he letting himself just be pet like this._

Cagney abruptly jolted upright, thorns bristling out of his body again. Mugman seemed taken aback by the sudden movement, arm still outstretched before withdrawing. Some of the little flowers had scattered out of fear at the movement.

"M-Mister Carnation! I-I'm sorry!" Mugman seemed just as shocked as he was, fumbling a little bit. "I didn't mean to scare ya at all, I'm sorry!"

"Mugman! I-" Oh, now what was he going to say?! He sighed shortly, obviously very flustered. "I…whatever, er, it's alright. I- I didn't think you'd show…I don't get visitors often."

This was already embarrassing. He could practically feel his ego get stabbed as he quickly tried to adjust himself, his face all heated up now. Too late to ham up the innocent act, as well.

Mugman smiled up at him, letting out a little chuckle at the display, then folded his hands behind his back, rocking back and forth on his heels. Though he was a little older now, he still looked so sweet… Sweet enough to make honey look bitter.

"Well, actually, Rumor told me to come down," he began, pausing briefly to look around momentarily, "she said you didn't have anyone to go with to the Inkwell Festival. She said you wanted me to go with ya? Well, either way, I jus' wanted to come down after running some errands for pops- it's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Erm… yeah, heh." Cagney managed. It had been so long that Mugman looked… Visibly older. He still looked youthful in the face, the tinge of baby face would stick around for a while longer, but some of his features were broader. And he was _definitely_ taller, as Cagney recalled him being quite stumpy, but now he was starting to fill out into a young man. Not to mention, that voice. He still had the same strong accent most residents this side of the island had, but his voice wasn't so squeaky anymore.

...Had it… really been that long?

Mugman tugged on his scarf that was tucked up between his face and royal blue coat, jeans tucked into his boots which had the tiniest of heels. Cagney secretly admired his fashion sense- he could probably pull off just about any outfit and look great.

"Yeah, last time I saw you was Christmas a few years back, don'cha remember? I gave you that big knitted sweater," Mugman chimed, followed by a little giggle, "and it was way too big for ya! It was like, like a dress, or something. D' ya still have it?"

Cagney shook his head. "It got caught on one of my thorns and tore. I tried fixing it, but…" he shrugged, "I couldn't save it. It just got worse everytime I fiddled with it."

"Aw, shucks… that's such a shame," Mugman looked disappointed, a hand reaching up to scratch the side of his porcelain head, "well, there's always this year! It's Christmas real soon, I can just make another one. It's no biggie. I'm better at knitting now, too, so it'll be even better than the last one!"

"You don't have to." He replied, smoothing down his petals. He remembered the day when Mugman came down on Christmas day. It was probably the most bitter cold winter Inkwell had ever had, and every morning Cagney woke up with frost all over his petals and stem, snow coming up to the chins of his flower family & friends. Mugman came running into the clearing holding his sweater for him… It was such a kind thought, even though Cagney had accidentally torn it not long after.

"Ah, but I want to. That's the thing!" Mugman grinned back, expression practically beaming. "And, y'know, you don't have to feel bad or nothin', it'll be Christmas after all!"

"Mm. I suppose." Cagney really did feel like the Grinch compared to Mugman. Eager to change the subject, he asked; "so what have you been up to recently?"

"Oh, I've mainly been helping out with my pops! Y'know, he's getting kinda old now so he can't do as much as he used to," Mugman answered, "so I just run loads of errands for him everyday. Cuphead is out a lot more now so I usually have to do everything- but that's alright! Cos' I don't mind."

"Cuphead? What's up with him?" Cagney pulled a bit of a face, nose scrunching up slightly. He was still a little sour about Cuphead… his smug attitude didn't settle with him well. Thankfully, Mugman didn't pick up on his distaste for his older brother, and continued.

"He's working with mister Porkrind now," Mugman replied, stuffing his hands into his pockets, "he started helping out with his shop a few months ago. He says it's just so he can get outta the house but I think is cos' he wants to go gambling with Ribby an' Croaks… Don't tell anyone I said that though!" He winked cheekily, and a smile twitched at Cagney's lips.

"Clearly he didn't learn his lesson from last time," Cagney remarked with a sneer, "let's hope he doesn't fall into the Devil's trap again, eh?"

Mugman pulled an expression of worry at Cagney's comment, and he felt a pang of guilt. That probably pulled up some bad memories. "...I think those frog brothers will keep him outta trouble, though. Just make sure he doesn't blow his money in the wrong casino, and no betting souls."

As if Cagney was one to talk about betting souls.

"Y-Yeah! Of course!" Mugman was clearly concerned for his brother, though he tried to hide it behind that signature smile. Momentarily he put his feelings aside for the red-clad cup- if Cuphead made the same mistake as last time, Mugman would obviously be devastated. Maybe next time the Devil wouldn't treat him with the same mercy, either…

There was a short silence before Cagney extended a hand to pat his shoulder, attempting to offer some comfort.

"Cuphead will be okay," Cagney spoke softly to break the silence, his large hand running up and down Mugman's arm. His eyes might have been betraying him, but he could've sworn he saw a faint blush on his cheeks at the gesture. He wasn't all too sure what to follow up with, so there was a small pause before he added; "He looks up to you, Mugman. Anyone can see that."

Mugman reached to clasp his hands around Cagney's, gently nuzzling his face into his palm. Cagney didn't expect it, but he allowed it to happen. "I… I know if anything happened to my family, I'd be worried sick." He added, and Mugman looked up.

"Family?" He let go of his hand, and Cagney withdrew. "You have a family?"

Cagney nodded in response. A lot of the flowers that had taken a nap with him had already scurried off earlier. However, a couple of his own brood had remained. He plucked one pink carnation off of the ground where they had once nestled up to his roots, lifting them into the palm of his hands. He petted its head before holding out his palm to Mugman.

The pink carnations black eyes looked up curiously at Mugman. "Aww…" Mugman smiled, before reaching out and petting its head as gently as possible. Cagney allowed the little flower to hop into Mugman's hands. "Such a cutie…!"

"There's a lot more where that came from," Cagney said, tilting his head a little as the tiny flower curiously looked around, "the rest of them have already scarpered, though."

"I had no idea you were a dad, mister Carnation," Mugman said, his tone was teasing and he gave another one of those cheeky winks, "didn't realise someone like you was so good with the ladies…"

"That's- that's not-!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Mugman giggled as Cagney became flustered again, using one finger to pet the pink flower in his hands. "I don't doubt you'd get a lot of nooky though."

Cagney grit his teeth at the teasing, reaching up to pull on one petal out of embarrassment with a loud huff and roll of his eyes. His face was just as pink as the flower child Mugman held in his palms. The little one looked a bit confused at the display, it seemed a bit worried. They had never seen their father so worked up, looking up at Mugman as if to ask 'what's wrong?'.

"I'll tell you when you're older," He whispered sneakily, followed by another giggle. The pink carnation seemed to get a bit excited at this, and Cagney promptly lifted them out of his hands.

"That's quite enough of that." He grumbled, lips curled down as he put the child back onto the grass.

Mugman's laughter faded with a sigh, looking across to see the sun had almost set, the last of its light ambiently illuminating the sea and the surrounding area. "Oh, golly! I'd better get going! Pops will have a heart attack if I don't get back soon," Mugman exclaimed, "I'll have to get going- but I can come back tomorrow if you'd like?"

"T-Tomorrow?" He spoke as if he had any plans, a pause for thought, before giving a quick nod. "Of course, if you want to…"

"Okay, great!" Mugman beamed, carefully stepping over some of the flowers between them, giving Cagney a hug, not seeking too worried as Cagney hurriedly retracted his thorns. "I'll bring a picnic or something, maybe, I dunno." He thought outloud, nuzzling against his stem.

Cagney was taken aback by the gesture, before carefully returning it. His arms and hands were really too big to hug Mugman, even if he were taller now. "...That sounds good." He mumbled, frowning at the affection. He was far from used to this kind of attention.

"And we're definitely going to the festival together, right?"

Mugman was looking up at him expectantly, eyes wide. "Of course." Cagney replied, meekly smiling back at Mugman's grin.

"Good!" Mugman finally pulled away, carefully stepping over the flowers on the ground again. A lot of Cagney's family had returned now, for it was late. Mugman couldn't help but smile down at the little flowers. "I'll see you tomorrow then, mister Carnation-"

"Please, just Cagney will be alright."

"Ah, okay. Goodnight, Cagney!" As he turned, he waved at Cagney and his carnations, dashing into the forest for home.

Cagney let out a sigh. He pet back his petals, finding himself actually looking forward to tomorrow. Mugman meant well, after all… he was a good soul.

Maybe having some company wasn't so bad after all...


	2. Chapter 2

Mugman gave a heavy sigh as he practically burst through the door, panting a little as he had ran home. "I'm so sorry I'm late, pops!" He exclaimed, Cuphead and Elder Kettle looking up as he walked in. His cheeks were deep blue after having sped home, hurriedly removing his coat and hanging it up. "Sorry, sorry - hope I didn't miss nothin'…"

Cuphead rested his head in the palm of his hand as Mugman sat down opposite from him at the table. "Mugs, you almost missed dinner!" Elder Kettle exclaimed, clearly worried as he turned to the two brothers.

"Well- th' keyword there is almost, gramps," Mugman gave a little chuckle. Elder Kettle only tutted and rolled his eyes as his innocent playfulness, giving him a look that said 'what am I gonna do with you?'. Mugman only smiled back before he glanced at Cuphead who seemed rather bored, playing with his fork idly. He didn't seem in the best of moods. The three went quiet, the only sound between the three were sounds of vegetables boiling, and the little thud of the fork hitting the table.

Mugman cleared his throat quietly to gently break the silence, before he piped up. "Slow day at work, Cups? You don't look too happy."

"Oh, was it ever," He began with a groan, shaking his head, "never been so bored in my fuckin' life." Cuphead quickly followed that up with a quiet 'sorry' for the use of vulgar language. Kettle hated it when he swore. "We was jus' movin' around a buncha stuff today. Reorganising…" There was a pause for a shrug. "Total bore but, eh, it works. I get money outta it anyway."

The final statement was followed up by brief smirk on his face, looking away for a split second. In a flash, it was gone. Mugman frowned a bit, suspicions roused, but didn't question. He wouldn't touch on it at the dinner table- least of all in front of their grandfather.

"...Right," was Mugman's only response, seeming a little hesitant, but his frown eased a little.

Before another silence could settle in, Cuphead sat up in his seat, looking up at his brother with a smirk. "So, where've you been? Y' don't normally go out, Mugs. Nearly fainted when I was told y' were meetin' up with somebody," Cuphead joked, the smirk turning into a grin, "so who's the lovely lady, 'en? Don't tell me you pulled Cala- you wouldn't break the _bro-code_."

"I wouldn't even dream a' breakin' the bro-code. But it ain't a girl," Mugman answered, instantly blushing when Cuphead let out a loud ' _oooooh_ ', that grin on his face only growing and Mugman couldn't help but giggle a little. "It ain't romantic… He's just a friend."

Both Elder Kettle and Cuphead raised their brows at that. "What? I'm serious!" Mugman stammered, face still flushed blue.

"Mhmmmm, o' course," Cuphead looked like a Cheshire cat with how wide his snarky smile was, "so, who's your 'friend'?"

Mugman smiled a little to himself, looking down at the floor, before meeting Cuphead's expectant gaze. "...Cagney."

" _Cagney_?!" Cuphead suddenly yelled out, causing the other two to jump up as the tone of conversation took a u-turn. "You're hanging around with- with _Cagney_?!"

"Oh, I remember when that flower was just a little sprout," Kettle mused adoringly, beginning to plate up their dinners, "he was so sweet. Hilda used to carry 'im around in this little flower pot. It was always so cute to see her runnin' around with that little flower."

"Y' gotta be joshin' me! Cagney Carnation, of all people? He's the rudest resident this side of Inkwell! He's horrible!" Cuphead grumbled, very clearly displeased, muttering a 'thanks' as a plate of food was put infront of him. "I don't like 'im."

Kettle sat down at the head of the table, hands folded infront of him. Mugman had only rolled his eyes at Cuphead's comment. "He's nice to me, Cups- he's actually kinda charming," Mugman replied with a little shrug, "and I'm going to meet him tomorrow."

"I think that's sweet," Kettle spoke softly, patting Mugman on the shoulder, "don't y' think, Cuphead? Cagney's a nice fellow. You should give him a chance."

"Yuck," Cuphead scrunched up his nose, clearly he had a distaste for the said flower. He scooped up a mouthful of food, shuffling a bit in his seat. "There is no way that dandelion is gettin' another chance outta me! He was so rude about the whole soul contract thing. That big old weed is just… he's just… grumpy! And he's mean. He hit me with a vine once."

"Wh- he did?" Mugman instantly became concerned, taken aback, suddenly beginning to have second thoughts. Cagney wouldn't do that, would he? "Why?"

"Well, y'know I was jus' passin' through," Cuphead started, "and this little flower kid is following me around so I tell it to buzz off, y'know? But it didn't… So I shot at it."

"Well there's your answer," Kettle interjected, shaking his head a little, "you shouldn't attack things like that."

"It didn't leave me alone though!" Cuphead quickly came to defend himself, his expression turning sour. "I didn't wanna do it, it wasn't even that hurt... It was jus' one dumb flower."

"Those are his children, Cups!" Mugman argued, reaching out to poke at Cuphead's hand, to which the older brother grunted. "He's really protective of 'em, y'know? You'd be mad too if you had kids."

Cuphead glared at that, teeth clenched a little. "Good thing that I _don't_ ," Cuphead growled back, cutting the conversation off there. His now foul mood made the quiet air that fell upon them awkward. It wasn't like Cuphead to get in such a bitter state so quickly. Mugman's previous suspicions were roused again...

Kettle gave a look to Mugman, shaking his head a little, his expression one of concern. Kettle must've had the same thought he had. Thankfully Cuphead didn't notice them both roll their eyes.

Once dinner was over, Cuphead hastily got up with his own plate and cutlery. He dumped it into the sink, before stomping upstairs, his footsteps quickly becoming distant as he sulked off. Mugman flinched a little when he heard the bedroom door slam. He let out a soft sigh, picking up his own plate and Kettle's, making his way over to the sink and began to clean up.

He paused from washing up when he heard Kettle stand up and begin to head up the stairs. "Wait, p-pops!" Mugman called, quickly running over, "I- I'll talk to him. Don't worry about it."

Kettle let out a frustrated huff, but he turned around and came back downstairs. Mugman smiled, relieved, reaching out and taking his grandfather's hand to guide him to his chair in the living room.

"I just don't know what's wrong with him, Mugs," Kettle spoke softly, leaning back in his seat, "he's been so… grouchy recently…"

"I know, I know," Mugman pat his shoulder gently, trying his best to be reassuring. Internally, his concern grew for his brother, recalling his earlier conversation with Cagney about Cuphead's gambling habit. He quickly decided not to mention it to Kettle. He didn't want him to worry, feeling guilt weigh down on his chest as he didn't like hiding things from his grandfather. But… He felt like he had a responsibility, to protect Cuphead from getting in trouble…

"It might jus' be the change of seasons. He always gets grumpy in the cold," Mugman reasoned, giving a shrug. Kettle seemed to be somewhat satisfied with that response.

Kettle's arms folded across his chest, shaking his head a little. "I don't know, Mugs. Whatever it is… I'm sure he'll get over it," He spoke softly, and before Mugman could turn away he caught his hand, "thank you…fer' everything. You're so selfless and I… I can't thank you enough, Mugsy. Y' better enjoy yourself out tomorrow with that Carnation. You deserve it."

Mugman gave a little smile, gently squeezing his hand, his face becoming a bit blue at the mention of Cagney. "I'm sure I will. I'll go see Cuphead after I clean up… Thanks, pops."

"You're very welcome, son."

With that, Mugman rushed back to the kitchen and turned away to finish washing up the dishes. He quietly hummed to himself as he cleaned up. Washing up was always therapeutic to him, and he found himself becoming lost in thought.

His mind slowly wandered back to Cagney as he scrubbed, leaning onto the counter a little as he looked out of the window just above the sink. It provided a view into the beginning of the forest where Cagney resided, though he couldn't really see it as it was so dark (neither did he have his glasses on, so it was difficult to see very far- he cursed himself a bit for forgetting to wear them when he really should).

' _Are we friends_?' Mugman found himself wondering, frowning a bit in thought as he began to scrub the dishes. He frowned a little in thought, staring out of the window at the dark forest right ahead. If he were a little younger, a little more naive, it would've been a definite yes, but now… He couldn't shake the feeling that Cagney might've just been tolerating him because he had to… especially after Cuphead's comments about the flower...

His lips curled down a bit. Cagney was always like that though, right? He just never really enjoyed people being around, and that was that.

Maybe it had just been too long. ' _I probably should've been a better friend in the first place and kept in contact with him_ ,' he thought, ' _then I wouldn't have this problem at all._ '

'... _It sure felt nice when I hugged him, though_.'

Mugman's frown twitched into a smile, face flushing a little as he stifled a giggle. Then when he hugged back, even though his arms were really too long to hug properly... And when he put his hand on his shoulder to comfort him… It was sweet. He meant well. He shouldn't doubt Cagney so much.

'I _guess it was kinda cute when I surprised him as well_ ,' Mugman pondered with a smile, ' _was he sleeping? Hm… his petals felt nice to touch. I wonder if he liked it_ … _What would that even feel like_ …?"

His train of thought was interrupted when he heard the door upstairs creak open, the floorboards groaning a little as someone stomped on them. His train of thought was promptly interrupted, hurrying to clean up the last of the dishes and cutlery before putting them aside to dry.

' _Cuphead_.'

In a hurry he just shook off his wet hands, flicking off the beads of water, before hastily making his way upstairs. As soon as Mugman saw him, Cuphead jolted, quickly shifting so his hands were behind his back. He couldn't look more guilty.

"Cups?" Mugman blinked, and Cuphead only stared back, shifting backwards to put more distance between them. "What are you hiding…?" Mugman quietly asked as he stepped up onto the landing, eyes slowly narrowing as Cuphead glanced about uncomfortably. He looked ready to run away- that was affirmed when Cuphead finally made eye contact and let out a nervous chuckle.

"Oh, nothin', Mugs," he answered, clearly trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, swaying playfully as if trying to look natural, "I dunno what yer on about."

But it wasn't going to fool him. "What's in your hand?"

"I told ya. Nothin'," Cuphead chuckled again, "Dunno why yer even-"

"Prove it," Mugman demanded, cutting him off. The faux look of innocence was quickly replaced by surprise, then irritation. "I wasn't born yesterday, Cups."

There was silence, Cuphead glaring at him for a moment, before finally the elder brother spoke. " _Fine_ ," he hissed, bitterness lacing his tone as he held out his hands. Mugman blinked, looking down at the item in his palm. It took him a moment to identify it, but it was undoubtedly a silver flask. Upon further inspection, that was undoubtedly King Dice's brand etched onto the face of it...

Mugman's own expression slipped into shock, before falling into disappointment. There was only one place he could've gotten it from... Why had he gone back to Inkwell Hell? What was he doing in that filthy casino again? Hadn't he learned from last time?

His mind swam with thoughts, but all he could utter was; "why?"

"...I… I dunno, Mugsy," Came the quiet response, scowl fading into shame, "I- I'm sorry."

"You've said that before, Cuphead," Mugman exclaimed, "you said sorry but... you didn't do anything…" Much to his own dismay, Mugman's eyes began to water. His throat and chest felt tight, but he forced himself to continue. "And- and you even went back t-there! What were you thinking? Do you even know what they put in that? They coulda' spiked it, knowing that shady place-"

"I don't know why I went there, okay?! I jus' wanted to- I thought it'd be fun! But I lost every single fuckin' round against that stupid Dice anyway," Cuphead gave a huff, pocketing the flask, "an' he said he put bourbon in it. I had some, tasted fine. So _I'm_ fine, okay? I'm fine."

Mugman sniffled a bit, bottom lip quivering lightly. Without a word, Cuphead pulled him into an embrace, nuzzling softly against his shoulder as he heard Mugman begin to sob, clearly overwhelmed by emotion. The younger brother quickly returned the hug, gripping onto the back of Cuphead's t-shirt.

"Look, Mugsy… I'm sorry… I really am." Cuphead said softly, one hand reaching up to stroke down his back gently. Mugman's breath hitched, holding onto him tighter. "Please… You don't gotta be so worried 'bout me. I promise I'll be alright."

"B-But- but what if you aren't, C-Cups…?" Came the meek response, followed by a gentle hiccup. "I j-just don't want to see you get h-hurt… I don't want anything b-bad to happen again…"

Cuphead moved away from the hug, reaching up to wipe away Mugman's tears. "I-Is that why you were so mad tonight? C-Cos' you lost?" He asked quietly as his brother thumbed away the tears that spilled down his face. His question was answered when Cuphead looked away for a few seconds, before making eye contact again. "H-How much?"

"...All 'f it…" Cuphead hesitantly replied, "I didn't mean to take it out on ya…"

"No… I know," Mugman gave a little smile, reaching up to brush away the last of the tears that leaked out of his eyes, "it's… okay... It'll be okay," he reassured himself, taking a deep breath, before exhaling. "I'm… sorry for gettin' so upset…"

Cuphead smiled weakly in return, moving to wrap his arm around Mugman's shoulder with a light pat. "That's alright, lil' brother," he said, gently clinking his head against his brothers, "look... I'm so… so, so sorry… I wasn't thinkin'… I promise, I'll get better."

Mugman gave a little nod. "Y-yeah…" He murmured, his own arm wrapping around Cuphead's waist. His crying had made him rather sleepy, leaning against the other a bit. "I… I'm tired. I better go to bed. I gotta get up early."

He slipped away from his brother, turning to give him one last smile, before disappearing into his room with one last "goodnight". Cuphead smiled back, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck.

Once the door had clicked shut however, Cuphead let out a loud sigh.

' _Might as well finish it whilst I can_ ,' he mused internally, reaching for the flask in his pocket and promptly chugging down the last of its contents.

"Um, sorry I didn't really bring you much, Mister Carnation…" Mugman scratched the side of his porcelain head, stopping just before him, "I don't really know what flowers… um… eat."

Much to his relief, Cagney wasn't offended or disappointed by this. Instead, he merely shrugged. "We don't really _eat_ , so to speak," he answered, "it's hard to explain. I mean, I could probably eat 'normal' food, but… I've never tried it."

Cagney quickly patted the ground beside him as an invitation for him to come over and sit beside him, and Mugman quickly obliged. He took extra care to step over any flowers, before quietly sitting down on the grass next to him. He pulled his messenger bag up onto his lap, pulling it open from its buckles. "Well, today's your lucky day," Mugman chirruped, reaching into his bag. Cagney leant down a little curiously, blinking when he pulled out his lunchbox.

Inside, Mugman felt a little bit embarrassed... He'd had this lunchbox since he was very young. The face of it had tacky stickers plastered all over it, and his name was clumsily written in the corner. The writing, as well as the stickers, had gotten worn away over the years but… he still felt fond of them, which was why he never made the effort to remove them. A bit childish, he knew, and now he was regretting not switching his lunchbox with Cuphead's just this once. He dismissed the thought, however, as he quickly clinked the box open, feeling Cagney's gaze fixed on him. The thought of Cagney _staring_ at him made his cheeks flush a little… but he soon shook his head, clinking the box open.

Cagney leant in further once it was open, head turning a little to see what was inside. Mugman smiled at the interest he'd taken. "By the look on y' face, I would've thought you've never seen food before," he mused aloud, and the flower actually gave a nod in response.

"I have a handful of times, but that was back when I lived with Hilda," Cagney answered, "it's… kinda weird seeing it up close, actually. I don't know what I expected."

Mugman actually giggled at him in return, not expecting such a response. This earned him a bit of a frown, but he didn't mind, and instead, he reached out to pat one of his petals playfully. "Well… since it's your first time…" he smirked, "you get first pick."

The other had only flinched a bit in response to the pat, having not expected the contact, but didn't move away (which Mugman assumed was a good thing, since Cagney seemed a bit weird about touching). There was a hum of thought from him, eyes darting around the box, before hooking a donut on the end of his finger.

"What the heck is this?" He asked bluntly, bringing it to his face to inspect it. He didn't seem to like the feeling of the sugar that fell off as he picked it up, scowling at the residue it left on his finger, before promptly brushing it off.

"That's a donut- well, it's a sugar donut," he explained, "it's sweet. Really sweet. Try it- y' might like it."

There was still a hint of confusion on Cagney's face, his head tilting a bit. "I just…" he gave a little sigh, pulling it off the end of his finger and into his palm, "it's looks weird. What if I don't like it?"

"Then you don't eat it," Mugman answered simply, shrugging, "I'm not gonna be mad if y' don't like 'em... Just a donut, y'know? It's not gourmet."

There was a second of hesitation, and he looked a little uncertain. Mugman was going to say something, however Cagney had already quickly scoffed it down in one go, swallowing hard without chewing. He cringed a little at the sight, eyes widening a little at the sudden motion, before nervously chuckling. Cagney probably grew up without table manners, after all, so he supposed it made sense that he'd just hawk it down without thinking twice.

"Well, was it alright or not?" Mugman asked quietly after a moment.

"To be honest, Mugman... I didn't really taste anything," The response was as blunt and as flat as anything, stroking his chin in thought. Mugman brought a hand up to his forehead, laughing at how ridiculous he was. It only brought confusion to Cagney, however. "Wh-what's so funny?"

"You! You're supposed to chew it first- n-not just wolf it down," Mugman continued to giggle, much to the others embarrassment, "I've never seen somebody eat wrong before but you've managed t' pull it off…"

Cagney's arms crossed, looking embarrassed now. "W-Well, I'm sorry that I don't know how to eat properly," he mumbled, face going red which only prompted another laugh out of Mugman. "Hey… hey! Stop laughing! It's not funny!"

"It is! It's funny- no, it's hilarious," Mugman continued to laugh, slapping his leg, face flushed blue from laughter. Cagney let out a snort of frustration, which only made him giggle even harder. "Oh c'mon, lighten up! I'm just messin' wit' ya!"

Mugman's teasing laughter began to fade when Cagney gave a glare, face reddened, before sharply turning and pulling down two of his petals hard in embarrassment. He could hear the frustrated huff that came from him. Mugman soon reached out to take a hold of his hand, trying to stop him from pulling at himself. "W-Wait! Cagney, don't do that- you'll hurt yourself!" He cried, voice gripped with urgency as he tried to pull his hands away.

Cagney tensed up visibly, and Mugman could hear him grumble a bit. His needle-like thorns began to emerge from his body. Obviously, he was very agitated. "Mister Carnation…" Mugman's voice was low now, hoping he hadn't upset him too much, now being careful of those thorns, "I'm sorry. I was kiddin'. I promise… I don't mean it."

Despite Cagney's strained form, his hand didn't move from Cagney's, his thumb gently tracing over his knuckles. He could feel him begin to relax, before he slowly let go of himself. Mugman smiled as he turned his head back to him, hand slipping into his palm and gave a gentle squeeze. Cagney wore a bit of a sheepish look, face still dyed a little red, before clasping his larger hand around his.

"Why d'ya do that?" Mugman asked, voice laced with soft concern, allowing him to hold his hand. He smiled sweetly at him- Cagney seemed a little anxious, after all. He went quiet as his thorns slowly withdrew- that was good thing, at least. "It's okay, Mister Carnation. I'm sorry for makin' fun of you."

"Ah, really, Mugman, just Cagney is fine. Sorry for getting so… flustered," He mumbled in response, "...I, er, um... it's a habit. I used to do it when I was little, when I got scared."

Mugman frowned in worry. "Have y' ever pulled out a petal on accident?"

"...Yeah," he let out a little 'tch' to himself, "a lot of times, actually, heh. It really hurts when it happens… they don't grow back so quick anymore, either."

"Golly, what am I gonna do with you?" Mugman sighed, moving his lunchbox and bag aside so he could scoot closer to him. "What if they don't grow back one day, mister- I mean, Cagney? What will you do?"

"Nothing... I'll live with it. I mean, I'll have to," the answer was flat, and unsatisfying, followed up by a shrug. Mugman frowned a bit, leaning onto his shoulder.

"I think you worry too much," Cagney commented idly after a moment, "you should relax a little."

Mugman let out a 'pfft'. "...You sound like my brother."

"Oh God _forbid_ ," Cagney groaned, the sarcasm in his voice exaggerated, which made Mugman chuckle. Cagney gave a small smile at his laughter. "Oh, hey, did you talk to Cuphead after? ...What's up with him?"

Mugman's face dropped a bit, shaking his head. "He wasted his earnings down Inkwell Hell yesterday…" he began, his unoccupied hand reaching to rub his neck out of nervousness, "and he had a flask with 'im. I- I dunno. He said he'd stop but- but I dunno, Cagney. I don't know if I should believe him… what do you think?"

There was a hum of thought, before Cagney gave a nod. "I think he will. You're worried sick about him. Anyone can see that," he reassured, "he'd be stupid not to."

"Well he's been making a lot of stupid decisions recently," Mugman grunted, letting out a deep huff of frustration. He then shook his head. This wasn't a very good topic for conversation. "I shouldn't… I shouldn't think about it. I shouldn't put my problems on you. Sorry, Cagney…"

"Don't worry about it! It's okay, I promise," He quickly chimed back. The light response was a pleasant surprise. Finally, Mugman felt himself relax, the tenseness in his shoulders leaving and he slacked a little.

"Thank you…" He breathed, head still resting on his shoulder. In fact, he was talking so much, that he'd forgotten their hands were linked. That brought colour to his face again. He could felt his heart beat a little quicker... Cagney seriously didn't mind this? His chest felt like little flowers were growing and blooming inside of him. ' _Th-this is so nice_ …'

"Mugman? Um… we are friends," Cagney piped up after a moment, before glancing down at Mugman, "right?"

There was a pause. Mugman was taken aback by the question. But soon, he nodded, smiled up at him, and shifted closer. "Yes- without a doubt, Cagney."

Cagney had mumbled a 'thanks', and looked away. He assumed it was to conceal that smile, but he'd caught sight of it before he turned. He really was shy, wasn't he? Mugman stifled a giggle, nuzzling against his arm. That was one thing Rumor was right about… he really was just a big dork...

The silence was peaceful. He felt like he could fall asleep right then and there. Resting against his stem wasn't particularly comfy, but the closeness… it was pleasant. Maybe a bit more than pleasant, actually. He'd never been so close to another like this before. It genuinely felt nice. He felt more at ease than he had in awhile. No gramps to worry about, no Cuphead to worry about, no errands to get to.

He felt his eyes begin to shut, drowsiness growing. Maybe five minutes wouldn't hurt...

He was jolted awake as Cagney's hand withdrew from his before he slipped into slumber, letting out a mumble of protest as he was pulled away from sleep so suddenly. "Tired?" Cagney asked, and Mugman nodded back. He smirked, "it's because you stress yourself out, see? You get tired easily… let me get you into a more comfortable position."

Cagney summoned a vine with a large leaf attached to it, curling it on the ground beside him. He shooed away some of his brood, making some space for their guest. Gently, Mugman was lifted, his head resting on the leaf. It was a make-shift pillow; though it was much better to rest against rather than Cagney's shoulder, he found himself missing being at his side. But he feeling too sleepy to argue.

"Th-thank you…" Mugman murmured, eyes fluttering closed again. Another couple of vines popped up, some with leaves and little buds on them, gently wrapping around his body to act as a blanket. Before he drifted to sleep, he felt Cagney's finger gently stroke his cheek, before he leant down to nuzzle against the rim of his head.

"You're more than welcome, my little bluebell."


End file.
